Ben Foglia, Brandon Davis, Sean Kawczak, Anthony Salvaggio and Nick Manzella of The Less We Know is releasing a new EP, “Safe Haven.”
Mike McMahon — The Record

ALBANY >> New music is surfacing in the Capital City this weekend in the form of a long-awaited debut EP from local rockers The Less We Know.

The Less We Know, originally formed in 2011, is back on the scene with an all new lineup, and a fresh sound to boot.

Founding members Nick Manzella and Sean Kawczak, the beat and the voice of the band, have joined with guitarist Ben Foglia, bassist Brandon Jared and guitarist Anthony Salvaggio in creating a five-song album entitled “Safe Haven.”

For the past year, the guys have been working tirelessly on this grand debut. In the past, The Less We Know released singles for immediately listening pleasure, but this time, they decided to go all out. The band laid down the tracks in February with Bryce Kariger of Rigerous Recording in Massachusetts. The five musicians are perfectionists at their art, revising songs sometimes more than a dozen times before they all agree on a finished product.

Advertisement

The first single off of the EP is called “Corrupt.” Kawczak, who wrote the majority of the lyrics for the new release explained that the song is about people with big egos.

“It’s about people who think they’re better than everyone else and just go around acting like they’re on top of the world,” he said. “And in the end they’re not going to be.”

All in all, the new sound is more mature, the band agreed. With new members added to the lineup, the band’s list of influences grew, spanning a variety of genres. The sound pulls away from the band’s metalcore roots and stretches the music in different directions.

“Instead of sticking to one thing, we’re doing like six or seven different things,” Jared said.

Melodic hardcore, punk, post-hardcore and metalcore all fall under The Less We Know umbrella. He considers the upcoming show more than just a CD release, but a drastic leap for the band.

“It’s kind of an unveiling of a completely different style that none of us have ever played before,” he said.

The Cohoes-based band has been playing the Capital Region since the band’s inception and are ready to start touring in other areas, and out of state. The group’s dream goal is to play Vans Warped Tour, a nationally touring punk-rock summer festival.

Also on the band’s to-do list is signing to a label, touring the world and showing their music to as many people as possible.

But right now, it’s all about having fun and enjoying the fruits of their labor on “Safe Haven.” The guys are eager to show off what they’ve been working on for so long and celebrate the achievement.

The Less We Know will be releasing its new music and playing “Safe Haven” in its entirety Saturday, June 21, at Bogies, 297 Ontario St., Albany. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the event.

Physical copies of “Safe Haven” will be for sale at the show for $5. The tunes will also be available for download on iTunes and Amazon, or streaming on Spotify.

Also on the all local bill Saturday night are headliners Restless Streets, The Primrose Path, Artisan and Like Lions.

“All of the bands are our really good friends, so we’re releasing new music alongside all of our best friends in music around here,” Manzella said. “It’s cool to be able to do that.”

When it comes down to the wire, the band agrees on what The Less We Know is all about: “Having fun with your best friends,” Salvaggio said.

For more information, go to www.facebook.com/TheLessWeKnow or follow @TheLessWeKnowNY.